Google Says Android Lollipop Does Not Encrypt Data Due To Performance Issues
Responding to recent reports that Android Lollipop devices do not full-disk encryption by default, Google said that the reason is an issue related to the performance of the devices. Google had previously promised to enable full-disk encryption by default on all Lollipop devices. Android users can still switch on disk encryption in the settings menu, but contrary to what Google said when Lollipop was first released, it won't be the default setting.
"Due to performance issues on some Android partner devices, we are not yet at encryption by default on every new Lollipop device," Google said in a statement to Engadget. "We remain firmly committed to encryption because it helps keep users safe and secure on the web."
Google's own Nexus devices already use encryption by default, despite any performance penalties. However, it seems that not all Lollipop devices are ready to take on the extra load of default encryption.
There's still the option for disk encryption on Android devices with Jelly Bean or higher, but users will have to enable it themselves.